Lagos to Jos By Road: A Road Traveller's Guide

15 September 2016

Where To Go

Bonnyway Motors

Address: Ijora, Lagos.
Phone: 08033286521, 08035060880
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.bonnywaymotors.com/

Young Shall Grow Transport

Address: Ijora, Lagos.
Phone: 08033271430 , 08055004767
Email: [email protected]
Website:http://www.ysgtransport.com/

ABC Transport

Address: Jibowu Terminal, Lagos 22, Ikorodu Road, Jibowu, Yaba, Lagos.
Phone: 01-7741320, 8793072
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.abctransport.com/

God Bless Ezenwata

Address: 9, Otto Causeway, Opp. Iddo House, Oyingbo, Lagos.
Phone: 08037083486, 08022628637
Website: http://www.godblessezenwata.com/

Price Range

A bus ticket to Jos will cost around NGN6500 to NGN8000, depending on the bus company.

Which Transport Company to Use

You should consider these factors to consider when choosing a transport company

Budget: Since the different transport companies have varying prices, this is a very important factor to consider when choosing what company to use.
Convenience: Apart from ABC transport that offers sprint service for customers in a hurry and who do not want to travel at night, all the other buses are coaches that travel at night. On this route, I would advice night travel because of the length of the journey, and the fact that if you leave Lagos as early as 6am, you will still get to Jos around midnight. But if those factors do not bother you, then road travel during the day should be fine.
Proximity to your home: This isn't really a huge factor as the size of the buses makes it impossible for them to pick and drop off passengers just anywhere, so most of the bus companies along this route have one designated terminals for boarding and about 3 or 4 for getting off when you get to Plateau State.

What to carry

The buses have huge underbellies for luggage and are often used as courier, so this is one of those road trips where you can take as much as you like. You should keep the following in mind when packing.
1. Since you can't monitor the handling of your extra luggage after you hand over to the bus conductor, i'll suggest that you don't use a bag that you don't want to be ruined by stains or random tears.
2. Use strong bags that are sealed properly to avoid damage because of manhandling, and best believe that there will be a lot of manhandling.
3. If you have a medium sized suitcase, you can take it on the bus with you as it will should fit into the overheard compartment.
4. Your carry on should be as light as possible as it is a very long trip.
5. Try to keep as little valuables as you can with you in your carry on, this reduces what you would lose in case of a robbery.

Time Taken

This is an all night bus trip so it takes an average of 18 to 20 hours.

Snack Options

There's very little snack options on this trip as most fast food restaurants aren't open all night, and vendors have to sleep, so this leaves you with the random drinks seller at a filling station or a suya seller whose meat you cannot vouch for so I would advice you to bring your own snacks.
The snack issue is not that big of a problem since you're travelling at night-time, and if you don't normally eat in the middle of the night, you'll be just fine.

Tips For First-Time Travellers

Book your ticket a full 24 hours in advance to get the best seats. Ask for a middle seat on the bus right next to the window.
The buses actually stick to time, so if you're told to be at the terminal by 3pm, be there by then.
Brace yourself. An overnight trip would be nothing like you have experienced
Dress comfortably.
Sit on the seat assigned to you, even if the other seats are empty. Their tickets are probably sold to other passengers on the way, or will be sold. The seats on the coach are numbered, and you can find your seat number on your bus ticket.
There are no bathrooms on the bus, big as they are, so don't fill yourself up with too many fluids as there are not a lot of stops either.
Pick a window seat, even if its one beside a sealed window. It will make all the difference.
There will be squatters. Squatters are people who pay half the fare and the idea is that they will stand in the aisle for the journey, but that's not the reality, of course. They're human beings, and so they will fall asleep on any surface they can find at night, and if you're on the aisle seat, that might be you.
Prepare for a lot of unnecessary and unexplained stops during the trip where the doors aren't open (the doors are automatically operated by the driver), so you can't even get off and if you do, you run the risk of getting left behind if the conductor forgets about you. The number of these types of stops depends on the driver's discretion and I would just go ahead and say as much as he can.
The bus might break down, but don't panic. Its almost always something the driver and the conductor can fix in about 30 mins. If its not, prepare for a long wait.
If you can avoid travelling on the weekends or just before and after major public holidays, do so. More people travel around this time and this usually means more squatters.
Be polite to the person sitting next to you.
Don't sleep too deeply, the seats are quite comfortable, but you're still travelling with a lot of strangers at night, so be alert.
Do not be careless with your carry-on.
Carry a sweater or scarf for the drop in temperature at night, and for when you get to Jos.
These buses have limited stops when getting off, so ask about them when you're buying your tickets, and get off at the one closest to your destination.
Brace yourself for a very new and not entirely unpleasant experience.

For up to date information on bus fares and routes, please contact the transport companies directly as these are subject to change at any time at their discretion.
Safe Journey!